Loose-leaf binding device



Aug. 6, 1940. R, TAUBE'R- 2.210106 LOOSE-LEAF BINDING DEVICE l Filed Aug. 20, 1936 il'. i

INVENTOR RUDOLF TAUBER Patented Aug-6.

UNITED s'rafr @This invention reims to moseieaf binding devices constructed cf iiex'ible sheet material and formed from 'shaped blanks comprising backplates with integral loop-forming tongues where,- by separate sheets; assembled groups of sheets;

pamphlets; and the like may be securelyfastened togethei`- at one edge punched to providez the required per'forations for receivingthe-loop* formingtongues. .Various attempts' have been W made with devices of this -character to simulate the appearance of a book without at'ithe same time unduly interfering with the opening of the! assembled Ieaves; to haver the leaves lie 'flat whenf l the bound leavesare open and in use; and inv 5 some cases, to have the bound papers removable'. Y for the purpose of substitution and replacement; Y It is therefore the prim'ary object of my invention` to provide a loose-leaf binder that will simulate the 4'appearance of a book; thatopens -20 vand closes easily and smoothly; that does not impart relative Aendwise displacements to the .oppositely arranged leaves at any place at which the assembled leaves may-be opened; and in which the -leaves lie flat when in open position.l

Another object of'my invention is to provide a loose-leaf binder in which the lealves may beV inserted and removed at will! without an extensive@ adjustment: and without subjecting the binder to a Aheat treatment.`

Another object of my :inventionis to provide alcose-'leaf binder ,having interlocking 'connections between the backplate and loop-forming` tongues, which are not permanent; which may be incorporated ina loose-leaf binder constructed :is of inexpensive material; which enhances the structural self-suiliciency of the tongues intheir closed-loop positions andthusrenders it feasible to secure a strong effective binder and a dependable` detachable connectionv between backplate,

and tongues without resorting vto the use of ma-y terial which is relatively inflexible oi' relativelyexpensaive or requires a. heat 'treatment for the introduction and removal of leaves. A further object of the invention is to provide a novel con- -strction for encasing and masking the interlocking connections between backplate and loopforming tongues.'

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved form of interlocking connection between backplate andI tongues in a loose-leaf binder constructed of relatively light or inexpensive lmaterial which by reason ofthe inherent resilience of the material and its reaction on said 5s interlocking connection in theloop-forming p osciame. (ci. 12s-1) e ,sitions of tire tongues, increases the structural' Ifor the embodiment shown in Figure 5.

stability of the loop's.-I f

With'I these and other objects in view which will readily appear as the nature of my invention is better understood, the'same" consists in the 5 novelv arrangement and combination' of parts which will be hereinafter describedand shown in the accompanying drawing.-

In the drawing, l 'Y Figures 1 and v2 are Afragmentary perspective 10 views ofv one embodiment of my"invention show ing the-binder in closed and open positions, respectively. Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of .the vbinderl detached,. one of the tongues being 15 disengaged. Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view on a re.- duced scale ofthe blank employed for .the binder shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is afragmentary perspective view of 20; another embodiment oftmy invention, oneoi` the y interlocking tongues disconnected andthe bound papers omitted for the sake of clearness.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the blankf employed.

Figure 'I isa fragmentaryperspective view of the binder shown in .Figures 5 and 6 with the papers included. a portion of the backplate being broken away to showthe masked interlocking connection for one of the tongue.` 4Figure 8 is -a'fragmentary perspective view of.4 ianotheriorm ofthe binder device, one of the tongues being disconnected.' j l Figure 9 is* a fragmentary plan view of the blank employed for the binder shown in Figure 8. 35

In a general 4wax/,the present invention contemplates a loose-'leaf binding device formed vfrom a blank constructed of an integral piece of' flexible material, said blank comprising a main body portion which after `a partial prei-forming 40 I operation provides a transversely curved back" plate 'from which' a vseries of loop-'forming tongues' project at oneedge. Said tongues,"in. their .loop-'forming positions; conform substantially to a common surface of curvature includ- 45 ing the backplate and in said positions'. are

under stress due to 'their deformation from a -norrnal unstressed' position in which they form ilat portions of the blank. In closed-loop posi# tion, the loop-forming tongues and Abackplate: `form a well-nished uniformly rounded struc-' ture substantially free from projections4 in which interlocking portions -of the backplate and loopby inherent resilience of the material.

A forming tongues are maintained in engagement'g According the embodiment of my `invention shown in vFigures 1, 2, 3 and 4, the blank emi ployed is formed of material having the stated' properties, and comprises'a main body portion I with marginal portions! formed by recesses 9 and with weakened lines 4 extending across the portions) between the recesses to form -a line of folding about which all of said portions 2 are folded inwardly into spaced relation to the inner surface of the backplate strip I. Presentgd outwardlyv from the opposite edge of -strip I and having common medial axes with said recesses;

.at the outer ends of thetongues and for the purpose of permitting the ends'oi said tongues to be easily inserted through the recesses, the edges 9, l, of said recesses are flared outwardly at 9*,19 to permit notches 1, `1; to engage straight edges 9, 9, and to interlock therewith as indicated in Figure 3. Preparatory to making the complete set-up shown in Figure 1, the leaves and cover (when a cover is used), are gathered, trimmed, and punched in a well-known manner, the-perforations formed by the punching operation in the present instance being of suitable form and siseto permit a smoothly constrained movement over the tongues l. With the leaves and covers thus prepared, the marginal portions v 2 are foldedinwardly Aabout the weakened lines l as indicated in Figure 3 after which, according to Figure 1, the tongues l are inserted upwardly through the lperforations in leaves and covers,`

the dovetailed ends 8 of the tongues being-overthrust inwardly' past the iiared edges and anchored in the straight edges 9 of recesses 3 by a short outward movement. In accomplishing this result, the tongues are stresed by fiexure and therebyflrmly retain inq interlocking ensagement. Reversal of t procedure serves to release the tongues and permits the facile introduction or removal of sheets.

Referring now to Figures 5, 6 and 'I of the drawing which appertain to the set-up shown in Figure '1, the backplate portion 9 of the blank shown in Figure (tis dened from a foldable marginal' portion I0 by a series of alined clongated weakened lines II and slots I2 which provide a folding zone,4 about which the marginal portion I Il maybe r ily folded inwardly into spaced relation to the ner surfaceof portion 9 to form tongue-receiving sockets as shown clearly in Figures 5 and 7. L Along its infolded edge, the marginal portion Il 1,8 Provided with recesses Il having a width at the bottom substantially equal to the Vwidth of the material between notches s I4, I4, near the outer ends of the parallelly-ar.

v been folded over into juxtaposition to 4backplate 9, the slots I2 are presented at the folded edge to receive the outer endsof tongues II after said tongues have been passed through 'the perforated sheets, said outer ends being inserted into'the receiving sockets formed between folded portions 9 and Il when the notches I4 are interlocked with the flared edges of recesses Il. For his\ purpose, each of the tongues is drawn from its closedloop position wherein the end of 'said tongue is interlocked at the edge of folded-in portion I9 under the resilient stress of the material due to its deformation from a position involving substantially no stress.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figures 8 and 9, the strip or backplate 4I9 is provided along one edge with slits I1 of sufiicient length to readily admit the rounded dove-tailed outer end i8 of each of the loop-forming tongues I9, portions of` the material intervening between said slits and the 'adjacent edge of the strip, being cut away to provide recesses 2lfor admitting the neck 2l at the outer lend of tongue I9, depressable wings!! of the material Abeing arranged to interlock with the dove-tailed 'end Il' under stress as indicated 'by different positions v of the tongues.

t will be understood that in any of the embo ents of my invention, the binding device can be used in sections of various lengths and embody any desired number of sheet-holding loops. Thus, for -example the binder may be constructed with sheet-holding loops in couplets or triplets, the leaves tofbe bound thereby being punchedto provide perforationssimilar in shape and arrangement to the loops of thebinding de-1 vice. If desired, moreover, the perforations may be punched throughout the iengthoi the oneoted 'sheets ,and bound a't` one or more places alongr the perforated edge by couplets or triplets etc.- 'in any desired spacing `of the binders.

It will now be understood that I have provided v a loose-leaf binder constructed of inexpensive material which simulates a book in appearance; opens out iiat without relative endwise displacement of the opposite leaves exposed to view'. It will now be'seen that the interlocking conne'ctions between the loop-forming tongues and the backplate are strengthened by the stress in and due to the exing of said tongues vand that ,saidA interlocking connections react to'stabilize the' loops.

I t isalso obvious to those skilled in the art thatthe interlocking connections are releasa'ble with little or no eort and provide simple and effective means for the installation of sheets in thtbinder and their removal therefrom.

seen also that the curvature of the outer wou of the binder is substantiauy continuous and 60 vnot appreciably broken by the interlocking conf nections, this beging especially so inthose forms -in which the interlocking connections are within the back-plate. Y

Having thus 4described my invention and point'- ed out the features which are new, what I claim 1. A loose-leaf binder comprising a back-plate coincident with the length of the book to be bound,. a plurality of uniform, equally spaced projections extending from one4 edge of said plate, said projections each having a pair of opposed .inreaching notches in their outer portions,

and shorter projections extending'from the opposite edge of said plate, directly oppod to the spaces between the first named projections pre senting spaces receptive of the notched edges of the first named projections therein, said plate being curved transversely its length and said proiections 'curved conformably therewith. t

2. A loose-leaf binder comprising a back-plate bound, a plurality of uniform equally spaced pro Vcoincident with Athe length of -the 'book to be" leaf-receiving position shown in Figure 5 to lsaid projections each having opposed 1li notches in `their outer portions, -said plate havingy 'recesses receptive of said projections, said' recesses being engageable with the notches of the projections, th`e outer opposed portion of said plate being infolded to contact the back oi' the book and cover the extreme end portions of said projections, said plate and projections being transversely and continuously curved.

3. A loose-leaf binder element comprising a 10 dat level strip oi flexible material uniformly curved to form a circular sheet engaging loop, one end portion of said strip having inreaching registering notches in its opposite edges, the other end portion having recesses receptive of the first named portion to engage the notches, said other end portion having recesses receptive of the first papers through which the binder element is passed and cover the extremity of the rst named end portion of said strip.

RUDOLF TAUBER. 

